I’ve heard people say if they could simply know the future, they’d be great. I couldn’t disagree more. In fact, I don’t believe we can handle knowing the future. We’d stress out as not everything that happens to us is good! Because we live in a fallen world, life happens and sometimes it’s not pretty.
But we can trust the one who knows the future and relax. The Word says that everything coming our way is Father filtered and is something we can successfully navigate through with the Spirit’s power (1 Cor. 10:13). When David saw the giant Goliath standing in front of him he didn’t know if he would win, but he believed he could because he knew his God (1 Sam. 17:37). He knew from the past that his God helped him defeat other “giants” and could do so again. This peace of mind allowed him to run, not shrink, into battle.
How well you know Jesus is crucial. What you know He can do from past experience, brings peace of mind, even though you don’t know what will happen today, let alone the future. The mere fact that you have seen Jesus defeat your “giants” in the past will give you the confidence, the faith, to keep listening to Jesus while facing your giants of today. A healthy faith knows who their God is from the Word and from seeing that God come through in their experience. Run toward the battle, not away when the giants come! Jesus is there to give you victory.

S“E”t Free Nowww

What we think about is worth far more than a penny. What we think about can either bring us into bondage or into freedom. It all depends upon the thoughts we allow to run around in our heads (Rom. 12:2).
Let me ask you, right now, are your thoughts running with the wild horses, taking you every where they want you to go? Or, are they running with the tamed horses, going where you want them to go? Notice the phrase on the penny, “In God We Trust”. Do your daily thoughts reflect your trust in Jesus or yourself? Are they anxious thoughts or peaceful thoughts? Are they thoughts of truth fed by the Word of God or lies fed by the enemy? Be careful what you let roll around in your head as you will become what you think about.
The next time see a penny on the street, ask yourself, “Is what I’m thinking about based upon the truth of God’s Word or something that will take me where I don’t really want to go?” You’ve been given the mind of Christ as God’s child (1 Cor. 2:26), which means you can think Jesus’ thoughts that bring victory over your daily struggles. Jesus came to set the captives, you and me, free and it starts with what we think about throughout our day.
“S”et Free Nowww

Look at the picture to the left. What do you see? Hopefully what catches your eye is the huge rock in the lower right hand corner. This city wall was built upon a rock! There is no way an enemy could dig under this section of the wall, especially in the days when they didn’t have TNT.
This is a picture of what David is talking about in 2 Samuel 22:2-3. David’s security wasn’t found in his position as king, his military skills and abilities (which brought him tremendous fame), his looks, his money, or in anything else that could be taken away from him.
No, David’s security, peace of mind and strength came from his close relationship with his God. When life struck and it does to all of us, David stood upon the Rock. His mind went to Who his God is and how his God could help him face any and every situation that life threw at him. Keep in mind that there were people who wanted David’s head! Yet David kept his by standing upon the Rock, heading into the truths of God’s fortress for protection.
We have the same security as children of God. Because of what Jesus, not what we do or don’t do, we have a rock solid foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-11) that can’t be undermined or exploded. Where will your mind go when the car breaks down or the bills pile up? You can be secure beyond secure when you stay focused on Jesus and keep listening to Him.

“S”et Free Nowww

There is a fable that goes something like this. “One day an ant asked a centipede, ‘How do you know which leg to move next?’ The centipede pondered the question and replied, ‘I guess I’ve never thought about it.’ But the more he thought about the question, the more perplexed he became until finally he was so confused he couldn’t walk at all.”
We get so wrapped up in trying to figure everything out, why this is happening, why that didn’t happened and a multitude of all sorts of other questions that we simply forget to walk with Jesus! We contemplate our navels to the point that we, not Satan or others, rob of us the joy and peace Jesus wants to bring into and burst forth from our lives.
If God was willing to send Jesus to die for you and make you His child, will He not continue to provide for you along the way (Rom. 8:31-32)? Stop over thinking life and live it! Let’s stop thinking about ourselves and be ready for the opportunities to bring hope to those around us, those who don’t yet realize that Jesus is the answer.
So relax, keep listening to and doing what Jesus says to do each step of the way and be ready to let others know where your hope comes from.

“S”et Free Nowww

There a numerous open patches of land around our house. I always find it interesting why people feel they can throw their garbage, torn up sofas and badly used beds on these vacant pieces of land. Instead, you can replace them with new ones from Konservatory.
I’ve seen owners put up signs, “No Dumping,” “You are under surveillance,” and “Keep out private property,” to no avail. The dumping continues and the owner has three options to deal with it. They can fence in their property, which is quite cost prohibitive. They can let the trash pile up, which is a fire and health hazard. Or, they can clean it up.
It’s the same way with people. You can put up a fence, your boundaries, to keep people from dumping on you through their hurtful words and actions. This option will work some of the time, but not always. This leaves Options #2 and #3: you can let the garbage pile up, causing you both physical and mental health problems or you can clean it up through forgiveness and experience peace (Col. 3:13).
I hear a, “It’s not fair. I’m not the one throwing the garbage out!” coming. You’re right it’s not fair. We live in a fallen world, however, where it will happen whether we like it or not. Yet fairness doesn’t help you take out the garbage. The person who tossed it your way might never come clean it up (i.e. ask your forgiveness). Will you choose to leave it there and let the smell of it rob you of your joy or will you clean it up through forgiveness and keep your joy? Make the faith choice to follow Jesus and get rid of the garbage by forgiving others as He forgave you – a lot!

Set Free N“O”www